Seattle–Tacoma International Airport

"SeaTac" redirects here. For other uses, see SeaTac (disambiguation).
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
Sea–Tac Airport

Sea-Tac Airport in May 2012, looking south
IATA: SEA – ICAO: KSEA – FAA LID: SEA
– WMO: 72793
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner/Operator Port of Seattle
Serves Seattle; Tacoma, Washington, United States
Location SeaTac, Washington, United States
Hub for
Elevation AMSL 433 ft / 132 m
Coordinates 47°26′56″N 122°18′34″W / 47.44889°N 122.30944°W / 47.44889; -122.30944Coordinates: 47°26′56″N 122°18′34″W / 47.44889°N 122.30944°W / 47.44889; -122.30944
Website portseattle.org/seatac
Maps

FAA diagram
SEA

Location in Washington

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
16L/34R 11,901 3,627 Concrete
16C/34C 9,426 2,873 Concrete
16R/34L 8,500 2,591 Concrete
Statistics (2015)
Passengers 42,340,537 (12.91% up from 2014)
Aircraft movements 381,408 (12.02% up from 2014)
Air Cargo (metric tons) 332,636 (1.65% up from 2014)
Sources: FAA[1] and airport web site[2]

Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (IATA: SEA, ICAO: KSEA, FAA LID: SEA) (Sea–Tac Airport or Sea–Tac) /ˈsiːtæk/ is the largest airport in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is in the eponymous city of SeaTac, Washington, about twelve miles south of downtown Seattle and is the primary airport for the Seattle metropolitan area.

The airport has flights to cities throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It is the main hub for Alaska Airlines and its regional subsidiary Horizon Air, whose headquarters are near the airport. It is a hub and international gateway to Asia and Europe for Delta Air Lines, which has expanded at Sea-Tac since 2011.

In 2015 the airport served over 42 million passengers.[3] The airport is the largest generator of vehicle trips[4] in the state and its 13,000-car parking garage is North America's largest parking structure under one roof.[5]

History

The airport was built by the Port of Seattle in 1944 after the U.S. military took control of Boeing Field in World War II. The Port received $1 million from the Civil Aeronautics Administration to build the airport and $100,000 from the City of Tacoma. The first scheduled airline flights were Northwest and Trans-Canada in 1947; Western and United moved from Boeing Field in the next couple of years, and Pan Am moved in 1952–53, but West Coast and successor Hughes Air West stayed at Boeing Field until 1971.

In June 1951 there were four runways at 45-degree angles, between 5,000 and 6,100 feet (1,500 and 1,900 m) long; the northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast runways intersected just west of the north-south runway that eventually became today's runway 34R. Runway 34 was lengthened to 7500 ft in 1951, to 8500 ft by 1958 and to 11900 ft by 1962. Runway 34L replaced runway 2 around 1970.

The April 1957 OAG shows 216 departures a week on United, 80 Northwest, 35 Western, 21 Trans-Canada, 20 Pan Am, 20 Pacific Northern and 10 Alaska. The first jet flights were Pan Am 707s to Honolulu via Portland (OR) in late 1959. In 1966 Scandinavian Airlines began the airport's first non-stop route to mainland Europe (Pan Am nonstops to London began around 1961). The first concourse opened in July 1959.

The two-story North Concourse (later dubbed Concourse D) added four gate positions and a new wing 600 feet (180 m) long and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide.[6] The one-story South Concourse (now Concourse A) opened in 1961, adding another 688 feet (210 m) to the length of the airport.[6] The 800-foot (240 m) long Concourse B opened in December 1964. It added eight gate positions, bringing the total to 19, a 12,000 square feet (1,100 m2) area housing international arrivals and the offices of U.S. Customs, Immigration, Public Health and the Department of Agriculture.[6] Concourse C opened in July 1966.[6] Just four years later, it was extended to include another 10 gates, bringing the total to 35.[6] The Port embarked on a major expansion plan, designed by The Richardson Associates[7] and lasting from 1967 to 1973, adding a second runway, a parking garage, two satellite terminals and other improvements. In 1973, $28-million new terminal was built over and around the 1949 structure; the new terminal quadrupled the area for public use.[6] On July 1, 1973, the Airport opened two new satellite terminals, along with an underground train system to connect them to the Main Terminal.[8] In the mid-1980s, the Main Terminal was renovated and another 150 feet (46 m) was added to the north end.[6] Concourse D was expanded in 1987 with a rotunda that added four new gates.[6] In 1993, Concourses B, C and D were renovated. The project, designed by NBBJ, included the addition of 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) and the renovation of 170,000 square feet (16,000 m2) of space in Concourses B, C and D.[9] On June 15, 2004, the 2,102-foot (641 m) new Concourse A was unveiled with 14 new gates, a dozen new restaurants, new artwork and the airport's first moving sidewalks.[6]

Residents of the surrounding area filed lawsuits against the Port in the early 1970s, complaining of noise, vibration, smoke and other problems. The Port and the government of King County adopted the Sea-Tac Communities Plan in 1976 to address problems and guide future development. The Port spent more than $100 million over the next decade to buy homes and school buildings in the vicinity, and soundproof others nearby. In the mid-1980s, the airport participated in the airport noise-compatibility program initiated by Congress in 1979. Airport-noise contours were developed, real estate was purchased and some homes were retrofitted to achieve noise mitigation.[10]

In 1978 the U.S. ended airline regulation, and U.S. airlines were allowed to determine routes and fares without government approval. Deregulation resulted in new service to Seattle, including from TWA, then the fourth-largest U.S. airline, as well as Delta, National, and American.

After the death of U.S. Senator Henry Martin "Scoop" Jackson in 1983, the Seattle Port Commission voted to change the name of the airport to Henry M. Jackson International Airport. Denizens of Tacoma interpreted the change as an insult to their community—the second time in the airport's history that the port authorities had attempted to remove "Tacoma" from the name. The $100,000 that Tacoma had provided for the airport's construction during World War II had come with an explicit promise that the city would be included in the airport's name. The controversy was resolved after polls of Seattle and Tacoma area residents indicated their preference for the original name by margins as much as 5:1. Helen Jackson, the widow of the late Senator Henry M. Jackson, expressed her desire that their family remain neutral in the debate. With a 3–2 vote of the Port of Seattle Commission, the name was reverted to Sea-Tac in early 1984.[11]

SeaTac Airport in September 2007 as runway 16R/34L was under construction (opened November 2008)

In the late 1980s the Port of Seattle and a council representing local county governments considered the future of air traffic in the region and predicted that airport could reach capacity by 2000. The planning committee concluded in 1992 that the best solution was to add a third runway to the airport and construct a supplemental two-runway airport in one of the neighboring counties. Members of the community opposed a third runway, as did the Highline School District and the cities of Des Moines, Burien, Federal Way, Tukwila and Normandy Park, but a 1994 study concluded there were no feasible sites for an additional airport. The Port of Seattle approved a plan for the new runway in 1996, prompting a lawsuit from opponents. The Port secured the necessary permits by agreeing to noise reduction programs and environmental protections. Runway opponents appealed these permits, but dropped their challenges in 2004.

SeaTac terminals

The new 3rd runway opened on November 20, 2008, with a construction cost of $1.1 billion. Parallel to the existing two, the new runway is 2500 ft west of runway 34R, allowing landings on both in times of low visibility. The older runways are 800 ft apart, too close to allow use of both in the frequent low visibility.[12]

Operations

The three parallel runways run nearly north–south, west of the passenger terminal and are 8,500 to 11,900 feet (2,600–3,600 m) long. In 2008 the airport averaged 946 aircraft operations per day, 89% being commercial flights, 10% air taxi operations and 1% transient general aviation.[13]

Sea-Tac's control tower in 2007
The interior of Sea-Tac's control tower, commissioned in 2004, is 850ft2 (79m2). At center is a radar display; at top right is the light gun

A new control tower was built beginning in 2001 and opened November 2004, at a cost of $26 million.[14] The floor of the new tower's control cab is 233 ft (71 m) above ground level; the tower's overall height including antennas is 269 ft (82 m). The cab has 850 sq ft (79 m2) of space and was designed to support operation by ten controllers, with possible future expansion up to 15. The site and construction method of the tower were designed to maximize visibility and efficacy of radar systems. The airport's original control tower, built in the 1950s, is now located in the airport's passenger terminal and used as a ramp control tower, after being repaired from damages caused by the Nisqually earthquake in 2001.

A recurring problem at the airport is misidentification of the westernmost taxiway, Taxiway Tango, as a runway. A large "X" has been placed at the north end of the taxiway, but a number of aircraft have landed on the taxiway.[15] The FAA issued an alert notice dated from August 27, 2009, to September 24, 2009, urging airplanes about taking precautions such as REILs and other visual cues while landing from the north.

In 2007 the airport, together with the University of Illinois Center of Excellence for Airport Technology (CEAT), became the first airport to implement an avian radar system providing 24-hour monitoring of wildlife activity across the airfield. This pilot program was designed to decrease potentially fatal incidents involving collisions with birds and to provide a test bed for implementation of the technology in the US which was expected to begin in 2009. The technology is part of a strategy to reduce the presence of wildlife on the airfield.[16]

Threatened Southwest Airlines switch

Citing increased landing fees and other costs due to the work at the airport, Southwest Airlines threatened in 2005 to move to nearby Boeing Field. This plan ran into several problems. Boeing Field is a public airport and each airline would have to have equal access, requiring more capacity than available on the airport's single runway suitable for large airplanes. (Boeing Field has a parallel, smaller runway used by smaller aircraft.) Major renovations would have been required. While Southwest did indicate willingness to pay for upgrades, there were problems with the transportation infrastructure around Boeing Field, which was not designed to handle traffic in and out of a major passenger airport. It eventually became clear that Southwest Airlines would not fund the necessary transportation improvements and the plan was rejected by King County Executive Ron Sims.[17] Furthermore, there were concerns that the high costs of operating the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport would be increased even further if some airline service were moved to Boeing Field, which was expected to be less expensive to operate for the airlines.

Increased Delta Air Lines presence

Sea Tac terminal buildings with Mt. Rainier in the background

In mid-2014, Delta Air Lines announced plans to rapidly expand Seattle into a transpacific hub. Since then, Delta has added numerous flights to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, London and dozens of domestic flights to feed those services. By December, Delta expects to offer 95 flights to 33 destinations from Seattle. By the third quarter of 2014, Delta hopes to be the airport's largest sole source of revenue.[18] Delta's increased presence in Seattle has been seen by some industry analysts as a response to United's transpacific hub at San Francisco International Airport. Other analysts speculate that this growth also results from Delta's disenchantment with its Tokyo–Narita hub, citing Japan's diminishing importance in light of the boom in Chinese international travel and the lack of a Japanese partner airline.

Delta's rapid expansion at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport has created some controversy. Many of the new domestic services Delta started offering from Seattle to boost traffic to international flights encroach on routes that Alaska Airlines, a long-time partner of Delta, have historically operated. Additionally, Delta is currently seeking a total of 30 gates at Seattle/Tacoma, nearly triple its current 11 gates, to accommodate its planned growth.[19] As an interim solution to overcrowding, the Port of Seattle has announced the North Sea-Tac Airport Renovation project (NorthSTAR). By 2020, the North Satellite will be expanded by over 240 feet, increasing the terminal's square footage by 181,000 feet and increasing the gate count from 12 to 20.

"We’re making good progress on our discussion to upgrade the facility and to turn Seattle into a huge international gateway for Delta," Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson said on a recorded message to employees.[19] President Ed Bastian, in 2014's third quarter earnings call, stated that Delta's decision to cut seats in Cincinnati and Memphis have been producing solid results. "Seattle’s domestic performance has significantly exceeded our expectations as unit revenues increased 6 percent on a 25 percent increase in capacity, driving margin improvements year-over-year," Bastian said. Seattle airport spokesman Perry Cooper has also stated that Delta currently plans to operate around 150 flights a day by 2017.[19] This would require 19 or 20 gates, assuming the airline will operate eight flights a day from each gate. Cooper speculates that if Delta takes on 30 gates, over 240 flights a day could be operated. Ultimately, the success of Delta's growth in Seattle relies on the Port of Seattle's decisions regarding further terminal expansions and gate allocation, which is currently assigned to airlines according to a formula that utilizes their number of outbound flights.

Terminals

Map of SeaTac's terminal
Central terminal with views of the runways
Alaska and United planes at the North Satellite Terminal
Interior of the D Concourse near Alaska gates D10 & D11

The airport has a Central Terminal building, which was renovated and expanded in 2003. This project was designed by Curtis W. Fentress, FAIA, RIBA of Fentress Architects. The airport also has four concourses (A, B, C, D) and two Satellite Terminals (North and South). The satellite terminals are connected to the central terminal by an underground people mover system made by Bombardier. There are five security checkpoints at Sea-Tac but one is only used during peak periods.[20] Once through security, passengers have access to all gates.

Central Terminal
North Satellite Terminal
South Satellite Terminal
Countries served by flights from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (includes seasonal and future destinations).

Airlines and destinations

Note: All international arrivals (except flights from cities with customs preclearance) are handled at the South Satellite Terminal, regardless of their departure terminal.

Passenger

AirlinesDestinationsConcourse
Air Canada Toronto–Pearson A
Air Canada Express Vancouver
Seasonal: Calgary 		A
Alaska Airlines Albuquerque, Anchorage, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Burbank, Calgary (begins October 3, 2016), Charleston (SC), Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Fairbanks, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Houston–Intercontinental, Juneau, Kahului, Kailua–Kona, Kansas City, Ketchikan, Las Vegas, Lihue, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New Orleans, New York–JFK, Newark, Oakland, Omaha (begins June 5, 2016),[25] Ontario, Orange County, Orlando–International, Palm Springs, Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Portland (OR), Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), Spokane, Tampa, Tucson, Vancouver (resumes June 5, 2016), Washington–Dulles, Washington–National
Seasonal: Bellingham, Cancún, Puerto Vallarta, San Jose del Cabo, Sitka 		A, C, D, N
Alaska Airlines
operated by Horizon Air 		Bellingham, Billings, Boise, Bozeman, Calgary, Eugene, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Kelowna, Lewiston, Medford, Missoula, Portland (OR), Pullman, Redmond/Bend, Reno/Tahoe, Santa Rosa, Spokane, Tri-Cities (WA), Vancouver, Victoria, Walla Walla, Wenatchee, Yakima
Seasonal: Edmonton, Sun Valley 		C, N
Alaska Airlines
operated by SkyWest Airlines 		Boise, Colorado Springs, Edmonton, Fresno, Milwaukee, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Omaha (ends June 4, 2016),[25] Ontario, Portland (OR), Salt Lake City, Santa Barbara, Vancouver (begins June 5, 2016)
Seasonal: Hayden/Steamboat Springs 		C, D, S
All Nippon Airways Tokyo–Narita S
American Airlines Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles (begins June 2, 2016), Miami, New York–JFK, Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor D
American Eagle Los Angeles (begins June 2, 2016) D
Asiana Airlines Seoul–Incheon S
British Airways London–Heathrow S
Condor Frankfurt S
Delta Air Lines Amsterdam, Anchorage, Atlanta, Beijing–Capital, Boston, Denver, Detroit, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Kahului, Kailua–Kona, Las Vegas, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York–JFK, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Portland (OR), Salt Lake City, San Diego, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Tokyo–Narita
Seasonal: Cancún, Cincinnati, Fairbanks, Juneau, Orlando–International, Puerto Vallarta, San Jose del Cabo, Spokane 		A, B, S
Delta Connection Billings, Boise, Bozeman, Calgary, Denver, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles (ends May 31, 2016), Missoula, Orange County,[26] Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Portland (OR), Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), Spokane, Tri-Cities (WA), Vancouver, Victoria
Seasonal: Fairbanks, Jackson Hole, Ketchikan, Palm Springs, Sitka, Tucson 		A, B, S
Emirates Dubai–International S
EVA Air Taipei–Taoyuan S
Frontier Airlines Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Phoenix–Sky Harbor (begins June 29, 2016)[27]
Seasonal: Cleveland 		B
Hainan Airlines Beijing–Capital, Shanghai–Pudong S
Hawaiian Airlines Honolulu, Kahului S
Icelandair Reykjavík–Keflavík S
JetBlue Airways Boston, Long Beach, New York–JFK
Seasonal: Anchorage 		A
Korean Air Seoul–Incheon S
Lufthansa Frankfurt S
Southwest Airlines Austin, Baltimore, Chicago–Midway, Dallas–Love, Denver, Houston-Hobby (resumes June 5, 2016),[28] Kansas City (resumes June 5, 2016),[28] Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Oakland, Orange County, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Sacramento, San Diego, San Jose (CA), St. Louis
Seasonal: Atlanta, Nashville 		B
Spirit Airlines Las Vegas, Los Angeles A
Sun Country Airlines Minneapolis/St. Paul A
United Airlines Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental, Newark, San Francisco, Washington–Dulles
Seasonal: Los Angeles 		A
United Express Los Angeles
Seasonal: Denver 		A
Virgin America Los Angeles, San Francisco B
Volaris Guadalajara (begins July 7, 2016)[29] S
Xiamen Airlines Shenzhen, Xiamen (both begin September 26, 2016)[30] S

Cargo

China Airlines Cargo Boeing 747 at Seattle/Tacoma International Airport on June 10, 2014.
AirlinesDestinations
ABX Air Cincinnati
Airpac Airlines Eugene, Vancouver
Ameriflight Oakland
Alaska Air Cargo Anchorage, Cordova, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Yakutat
Asiana Cargo Chicago–O'Hare, Seoul–Incheon
Cargolux Calgary, Glasgow–Prestwick, Luxembourg
China Airlines Cargo Anchorage, Miami, New York–JFK, Taipei–Taoyuan
China Cargo Airlines Shanghai–Pudong
EVA Air Cargo Anchorage, Dallas/Fort Worth
FedEx Express Anchorage, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Worth/Alliance, Indianapolis, Memphis, Oakland, Ontario, Portland (OR)
FedEx Feeder
operated by Empire Airlines 		Bellingham, Burlington, Friday Harbor, Orcas Island, Port Angeles
Korean Air Cargo Chicago–O'Hare, Seoul–Incheon
Lufthansa Frankfurt
Singapore Airlines Cargo Anchorage, Dallas/Fort Worth, Hong Kong, Los Angeles

Other

Statistics

Airbus A319 – Frontier Airlines 'Sebastian the Ferruginous Hawk' (N933FR) at SeaTac with a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 in the background.
Air Canada Bombardier Dash 8-300. Unlike most international flights, which arrive at the South Satellite Terminal, flights from Vancouver and Toronto have cleared United States border preclearance, therefore passengers board at the main terminal directly.
Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767-300ER.

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from SEA (Feb 2015 – Jan 2016)[33]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Los Angeles, California 1,096,000 Alaska, Delta, United, Virgin America
2 San Francisco, California 979,000 Alaska, Delta, United, Virgin America
3 Anchorage, Alaska 880,000 Alaska, Delta, JetBlue
4 Denver, Colorado 805,000 Alaska, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, United
5 Phoenix, Arizona 771,000 Alaska, American/US Airways, Delta, Southwest
6 Las Vegas, Nevada 674,000 Alaska, Delta, Southwest
7 Portland, Oregon 671,000 Alaska, Delta, Horizon
8 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 644,000 Alaska, American, United
9 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 578,000 Alaska, American
10 Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota 539,000 Alaska, Delta, Sun Country
Busiest short haul international routes from SEA (Jan. 2014 – Dec. 2014)[34]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Vancouver, Canada 498,453 Air Canada, Alaska, Delta
2 Victoria, Canada 183,765 Alaska
3 Calgary, Canada 171,833 Air Canada, Alaska, Delta
4 Edmonton, Canada 126,380 Alaska
5 Kelowna, Canada 95,579 Alaska
6 Toronto, Canada 78,308 Air Canada
7 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 64,623 Alaska, Delta
8 San Jose del Cabo, Mexico 52,699 Alaska
9 Cancún, Mexico 15,925 Alaska
Busiest long haul international routes from SEA (Jan. 2014 – Dec. 2014)[34]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Seoul (Incheon), South Korea 331,611 Asiana, Delta, Korean
2 London (Heathrow), United Kingdom 329,365 British Airways, Delta
3 Tokyo (Narita), Japan 295,677 ANA, Delta, United
4 Amsterdam, Netherlands 248,483 Delta
5 Beijing, China 212,513 Delta, Hainan
6 Dubai (International), United Arab Emirates 212,151 Emirates
7 Frankfurt, Germany 172,038 Condor, Lufthansa
8 Taipei, Taiwan 154,135 EVA
9 Paris, France 122,949 Delta
10 Shanghai, China 114,297 Delta, Hainan
11 Reykjavik, Iceland 105,382 Icelandair
12 Hong Kong 72,033 Delta
13 Tokyo (Haneda), Japan 54,119 Delta

Airline market share

Largest airlines at SEA (Oct 2014 – Sep 2015)[34]
Rank Airline Passengers Share
1 Alaska Airlines 14,342,000 40.95%
2 Delta Air Lines 4,370,000 12.48%
3 Horizon Air 4,029,000 11.51%
4 Southwest Airlines 3,080,000 8.79%
5 United Airlines 2,684,000 7.66%

Annual traffic

Annual passenger traffic (enplaned + deplaned) at SEA, 1966 through 2015[35][36]
Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers
201031,553,166200028,408,553199016,240,30919809,194,65019704,653,443
200931,227,512199927,705,488198915,241,25819799,820,41919694,804,928
200832,196,528199825,863,466198814,495,51919788,367,97719684,434,778
200731,295,822199724,730,113198714,445,48219777,332,44319673,853,607
200629,996,424199624,324,596198613,642,66619766,806,74819662,822,007
201542,340,537200529,289,026199522,773,986198511,466,75519756,112,423
201437,498,267200428,804,554199420,972,819198410,476,63019745,772,216
201334,826,741200326,799,913199318,800,524198310,141,73719735,205,093
201233,223,111200226,738,558199217,962,21719829,278,73719724,788,962
201132,823,220200127,036,073199116,313,28919819,117,63019714,697,605

Ground transportation and access

Interstate 5 and Interstate 405 converge near the airport, with an easy connection to the airport via State Route 518. The airport offers on-site parking in a 13,000-space garage; numerous off-site parking facilities are located near the airport.

Seattle's Central Link light rail line serves the airport at the SeaTac/Airport Station with frequent service to downtown Seattle and the University of Washington. The station opened on December 19, 2009.[37] The line will soon extend south of the SeaTac/Airport Station to reach Angle Lake station at South 200th Street.

Tukwila station, which is approximately 5 miles east of the airport, is served by Amtrak Cascades and Sounder Commuter Rail. This station can be reached in less than 30 minutes via the Central Link light-rail transferring at Tukwila International Boulevard station to RapidRide F Line.

The airport is also served both by the King County Metro bus system and Sound Transit regional express buses. Taxis (exclusively serviced by Yellow Cab), rental cars and door-to-door shuttle service (serviced by Shuttle Express) are available. All public transit services are located at the end of baggage claim next to door 00.[38] Bellair Charters also services Yakima and Bellingham. Free parking for the first thirty minutes was discontinued in the mid-1990s.

There is also a scheduled bus service to downtown Vancouver, Canada, through Quick Shuttle, with other pick-up stops at downtown Seattle, Bellingham International Airport, and drop-off stops just inside the Canadian–U.S. boundary and at the Vancouver International Airport.[39]

Rental car facility

A 23-acre (9.3 ha) rental car facility opened on May 17, 2012.[40][41] The facility is located at the northeastern portion of the airport at the intersection of South 160th Street and International Boulevard South. The facility has 5,400 parking spaces[42] and can handle up to 14,000 transactions per day.[42] After the opening of the facility, 3,200 parking spaces in the central parking structure were opened up for general use.[43] Passengers reach the facility on a five-minute trip aboard one of 29 Gillig CNG buses.[42] Previously, only Alamo, Avis, Sixt, Budget, Hertz and National had cars on site; Advantage, Dollar, Enterprise, Thrifty, EZ Rent-A-Car and Fox Rent A Car ran shuttles to off-site locations. Payless Car Rental now has a presence. Customers of Rent-a-Wreck must ride the shuttle to the facility and then board one of the company's shuttles to Rent-a-Wreck's office.[42]

The facility was originally scheduled to open in spring 2011.[44] However, construction was suspended on December 15, 2008, by vote of the Port of Seattle Commission[45] and did not begin again until June 2009.[43][46]

Live music

In 2013, SeaTac launched a program centered around the local music scene, giving local musicians the opportunity to perform in different locations throughout the airport. It has since become a near-daily staple for Seattle-area musicians. The airport hosts an additional 30 entertainers on site along with the daily music program during the Christmas holiday season.

Future development

The South Satellite Terminal has reached its maximum capacity for handling international passengers in terms of immigration check stands as well as customs declaration. The existing facility is used to its full potential yet it continues to be packed with people arriving. Plans have been made for major expansions, such as adding two new baggage claims, as well as increasing from 20 to 30 immigration inspection booths.[47] There is no certainty right now, but there is a plan for a skybridge or tunnel over to the main terminal at Concourse A where passengers will use a new international arrivals area. This is a possible solution to the double claim problem for baggage as well.[47]

The North Satellite Renovation Plan (NorthSTAR)

The North Satellite Terminal has only received limited upgrades and is in need of modernization. The NorthSTAR renovation project includes The North Satellite terminal renovation and several other projects including main terminal improvements, refurbished north satellite baggage systems, and new exterior walkways, stairs and elevators.[48]

Accidents and incidents

See also

References

  1. ↑ FAA Airport Master Record for SEA (Form 5010 PDF), effective July 5, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Sea-Tac international airport". Port of Seattle. (official site)
  3. ↑ "Airport Statistics: 2011 Airport Activity Highlights". Port of Seattle. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  4. ↑ "SR 509: Corridor Completion/I-5/South Access Road Final Environmental Impact Statement" (PDF). WSDOT. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Airport Parking Garage". Port of Seattle. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved Jan 1, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Main Terminal". Port of Seattle.
  7. ↑ "AIA Seattle Honor Awards: projects cited 1950–". AIA Seattle, A Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
  8. ↑ "North and South Satellites". Port of Seattle.
  9. ↑ International Academy of Architecture (1995). "Renovations Are Needed at Sea-Tac International Airport". World Architecture (London: Grosvenor Press International, Ltd.) (35–36).
  10. ↑ C. Michael Hogan, Ballard George et al., Residential noise insulation at Seattle Tacoma International Airport, Earth Metrics Inc., published by the Federal Aviation Administration and Seattle Tacoma International Airport (1984).
  11. ↑ "Airport Is Reinstated". The New York Times. Associated Press. March 5, 1984.
  12. ↑ "Sea-Tac’s third runway set to open after years of delay". The Seattle Times.
  13. ↑ "KSEA: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport". AirNav, LLC. September 20, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA/KSEA), United States of America". Airport Technology.
  15. ↑ Bowermaster, David (November 13, 2005). "Pilots Mistake Taxiway for Runway at Sea-Tac". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 17, 2008.
  16. ↑ "Wildlife Management". Port of Seattle. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  17. ↑ Langston, Jennifer; Holt, Gordy (October 11, 2005). "Plan Won't Fly: Sims Kills Southwest's Boeing Field Hopes". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved October 11, 2005.
  18. ↑ Carey, Susan (June 29, 2014). "Delta, Alaska Airlines Go to War Over Seattle". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  19. 1 2 3 Sasso, Michael (November 18, 2014). "Delta wants 30 gates at Sea-Tac Airport in latest challenge to Alaska". The Seattle Times. Bloomberg News. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  20. ↑ "Security at Sea-Tac". Port of Seattle. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Concourse A". Port of Seattle.
  22. ↑ "Concourse B". Port of Seattle.
  23. ↑ "Concourse C". Port of Seattle.
  24. ↑ "Concourse D". Port of Seattle.
  25. 1 2 "Alaska Airlines Boosts Seattle-Omaha Capacity from June 2016". Airline Route. February 2, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Flight Schedules Results". Delta Air Lines. February 23, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Frontier Airlines Adds New Domestic Routes in S16". Frontier Airlines. January 9, 2015.
  28. 1 2 Southwest Airlines Flight Schedule Extended Through Nov. 4, 2016, Adding More Nonstop Service For Customers In Every Region Of The U.S. - Southwest Airlines Newsroom
  29. ↑ "Volaris begis flights to Seattle (in Spanish)". EnElAire. April 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Xiamen Airlines Begins Seattle Service from late-Sep 2016". airlineroute. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  31. ↑ "Destination Map". Kenmore Air. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  32. ↑ "Omni Air Intl". YP.com.
  33. ↑ RITA | BTS | Transtats. Transtats.bts.gov (April 7, 2013). Retrieved on Apr 2016
  34. 1 2 3 "U.S.-International Passenger Data for Year To Date/Calendar Year 2014".
  35. ↑ "Home". portseattle.org.
  36. ↑ 2006 Activity Report. Retrieved on Mar 28, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Light Rail Service Begins to Sea-Tac Airport". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. December 19, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  38. ↑ "Public Transit". Port of Seattle. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  39. ↑ "Quick Shuttle: Vancouver to/from Seattle". Quick Shuttle. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  40. ↑ "Rental Car Facility Breaks the Ribbon Before Opening Under Budget". Port of Seattle. May 6, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  41. ↑ "Consolidated Rental Car Facility". Port of Seattle. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  42. 1 2 3 4 Gillie, John (May 10, 2012). "Rental Car Facility to Open at Sea-Tac". The News Tribune. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  43. 1 2 Cohen, Aubrey (June 14, 2010). "Sea-Tac Airport Tops Off Rental Car Facility". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  44. ↑ Young, Bob (February 26, 2008). "Port of Seattle To Start Up Rental-Car Center". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  45. ↑ "Port Commission Votes To Suspend Construction on Rental Car Facility". Port of Seattle. December 15, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  46. ↑ "Sea-Tac Airport: Positive Economic Sign: Rental Car Facility Construction Starts Back Up". Port of Seattle. July 22, 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  47. 1 2 Van Berkel, Jessie (July 10, 2011). "Fix in the Works for Big Sea-Tac Bottleneck". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  48. ↑ "NorthSTAR". portseattle.org.
  49. ↑ "The Stories Behind the Stones". Grave Spotlight. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  50. ↑ Black, Bruce R. (March 29, 2006). "Plane Crashed Near Des Moines Fifty Years Ago". Ballard News-Tribune. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  51. ↑ "CRIME: The Bandit Who Went Out into the Cold". Time Magazine. December 6, 1971. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  52. ↑ Hijacking description at the Aviation Safety Network
  53. ↑ "18 Injured in Seattle Plane Crash". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 16, 1988. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  54. ↑ "Aircraft Accident Report—Horizon Air, Inc., deHavilland DHC-8, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, Washington, April 15, 1988" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. March 6, 1989. Retrieved March 2, 2012.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, May 07, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.